Citrus Series More Acidic These Days

Can you remember the old days of the Marlins-Rays rivalry series, when the losing Marlins would usually beat up on an even worse Tampa Bay Devil Rays team? You'd have Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, Giants-A's, and of course, that dreadful all-Florida series.

This is the first time both teams come into the matchup with a winning record, and at this point, the Rays have the upper hand. Not only do the Rays sport a better record, but they've played much tougher opponents in the vastly superior American League. A complete team, with a strong rotation, lights-out bullpen, and promising young lineup, the Rays are a sight to behold.

They also took Game 1 of the series last night, demonstrating a brilliance for execution (something that has eluded the Marlins). They converted 3 for 3 on runner-on-3rd-less-than-2-out situations, which is the mark of a great team. The Marlins, not so much.

Let's see if the Marlins can push the Rays around with the long ball tonight. If you want to see the game, however, you'll have to drive over to Tampa. No television.